PawSox Journal: Swihart will have plenty of help in honing his catching skills

Tuesday

Apr 11, 2017 at 9:06 PM

Bill Koch Journal Sports Writer BillKoch25

PAWTUCKET -- It’s hard to imagine a better place for Blake Swihart to earn his graduate degree in the art of catching.

The 25-year-old has all but aged out of prospect status, appearing in 103 games with Boston over the past two seasons. It was a failed experiment in left field that brought a premature end to Swihart’s 2016, as he crashed into a wall in a June game against Toronto and eventually required left ankle surgery. The Red Sox and the player himself are pressing the reset button as Swihart enters his sixth full season of professional baseball.

“I enjoy catching,” Swihart said. “Being back behind the plate is where I want to be. It’s a lot of fun.”

PawSox manager Kevin Boles enjoyed a 20-game stint as a minor league catcher in 1998. Hitting coach Rich Gedman played 906 of his 1,033 games in the major leagues with the Red Sox, spending 11 seasons with Boston as a catcher. PawSox backstop Dan Butler is a veteran of 629 minor league games.

Toss in former Red Sox captain Jason Varitek, a special assistant to Boston president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, and Swihart has a wealth of knowledge at his fingertips. He’s certain to rely on that group as he makes the transition full-time back to a position he occupied from 2012-15.

“It’s awesome to have those resources whenever you need them,” Swihart said.

“It’s good that we’re seeing that it’s a commitment to catching now,” Boles said. “The plan is to make sure he stays out of left field – it’s catching. That’s his sole focus. That’s what he needs to do.”

Boston envisioned the switch-hitting Swihart as a capable utility man last year after Brock Holt hit the disabled list with a concussion. A superior athlete behind the plate, Swihart played 13 games as a left fielder before suffering his season-ending injury. With Andrew Benintendi’s emergence as an everyday player for the Red Sox, Swihart is attempting a return to Boston by unseating either Sandy Leon or Christian Vazquez.

“He had a great spring training,” Boles said. “He knew his situation going into it. He put on the best show that he could.”

Swihart posted a .714 OPS in 383 plate appearances in Boston, and his bat remains an attractive part of his skill set going forward. His hitting streak reached four games in Tuesday’s 5-4 win over Syracuse at McCoy Stadium, as he went 2-for-3 with three RBI. Swihart drove a solo home run to right center in the first, dropped an RBI single into right center in the third and lined a sacrifice fly to center in the fifth.

“It’s all about catching,” Swihart said. “Anything offensively is just a bonus. That your No. 1 goal – the pitcher on the mound and catching him. If you can put up zeroes you have a good chance to win.”

Comeback win

The PawSox erased a 4-2 deficit with a three-run fifth inning, taking starting pitcher Hector Velazquez off the hook and making a winner of reliever Edgar Olmos. He combined with Erik Cordier and Noe Ramirez to toss 4.1 scoreless innings of relief, with Cordier striking out five of the seven batters he faced over two frames.

Rusney Castillo’s double to left center, Swihart’s sacrifice fly and a run-scoring single through the left side by Matt Dominguez completed the PawSox rally, as the Chiefs snapped a 2-2 tie on a two-run single to left by Brandon Snyder in the top of the inning.

On the move

The PawSox made a pair of roster moves prior to Tuesday’s contest, placing outfielder Brian Bogusevic (right foot fracture) and catcher Tim Roberson (left calf strain) on the 7-day disabled list. That cleared the way for the addition of Ramirez and infielder Deven Marrero, who were each optioned from Boston.

It was business as usual for Boles, who saw the PawSox make 57 roster moves and send 20 players to Boston last season. Ramirez alone went up and down to the parent club eight times, and he reported in time to earn the save with a 1-2-3 ninth inning on Tuesday.